Last Christmas
by IcyJadeXOXO
Summary: Just when things are finally looking up for Elena, another tragedy strikes on a day that was supposed to be a time to rejoice. Now, she has to find a way to fix things while she's not allowed to alter the outcome. AU, Delena pairing.
1. Last Christmas

**TITLE** : Last Christmas

**DISCLAIMER** : I don't own TVD or any of the publicly recognizable characters. Sadly, the series belongs to L.J. Smith, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, Caroline Dries, et al.,and CW Network. I just use their universe as my playground.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** : This is a story requested by my friend Penny_Royalty_, who's been begging me to write a Delena Christmas story. Not STRICTLY compliant to the current TVD storyline, meaning it's canon until it's not.

**PROMPT** : Write a Delena Christmas story where Elena finally loses Damon and must personally find a way to get him back. Angst is a must. Fluff is welcome. Hurt is optional. Smut is encouraged. Happy ending is a necessity.

**SUMMARY** : Just when things are finally looking up for Elena, another tragedy strikes on a day that was supposed to be a time to rejoice. Now, she has to find a way to fix things while she's not allowed to alter the outcome.

**PAIRING** : Damon/Elena

**WARNING** : Major character death.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE – Last Christmas**

* * *

Elena kept pacing back and forth inside their dorm at Whitmore. It was the night before Christmas, and Sheriff Liz Forbes decided at the last minute to bring some Christmas cheer to Whitmore College...Caroline and Elena's dorm room, to be exact. The older Gilbert was making herself nervous as she waited in anticipation. She had one amazing gift to give to one amazing person...a gift that she is more than eager to give. Impatiently, she would look out the window, and tap her foot. Periodically, she monitored the door every time it opened, to see who just entered, and then checked her watch over and over for the time.

"Elena, stop fidgeting!" Caroline scolded her, as she puts some holiday finishing touches to the mantel. "It's not going to make Damon walk through that door any sooner."

"You don't understand, Care," Elena told her, shaking her head. "I've been trying to get a hold of him for days now. He's not answering his phone. I've texted him hundreds of times, and he hasn't replied once. I called Stefan, and even he doesn't know where Damon is either."

"I'm sure he's okay," Caroline tried to reassure her. "Have some eggnog. It'll help you relax."

"What will help me relax is when I finally talk to Damon," Elena sighed. "He doesn't know yet. He needs to know that I remember everything, and he needs to know tonight." She could hardly wait to give Damon his Christmas present.

"Any idea how you're going to tell him once he gets here?" Caroline asked curiously.

"I'm not sure," Elena shook her head. "I have this whole speech that I've been rehearsing inside my head, but I don't think it will be enough. I have a feeling there's some grovelling involved. Hopefully followed by a lot of kissing. Then after that, who knows?"

"Grovelling? Pfft! " Caroline scoffed. "He should be thanking his lucky stars for this Christmas miracle! I mean, HELLO? Forgetting that you ever loved him was the best thing that could've happened to you in the past few years-"

"Caroline!" Elena admonished her blonde vampire friend.

"Sorry," Caroline apologized half-heartedly. "Okay...I'm back to my 'supportive best friend' mode. Go, Team Delena! Yay..." she added with feigned enthusiasm.

Elena was about to say something to her, when she heard people coming in through the door. She turned to see Alaric walking in with his girlfriend Jo, closely followed by Tyler, who came with Liv as his date.

"Elena! Merry Christmas!" Alaric greeted her with a tight hug, before doing the same with Caroline.

"Ric, Jo...Merry Christmas!" Elena greeted in return. She smiled and exchanged greetings with Tyler and Liv.

"Thank you for still inviting us...even after everything that has happened lately, " Jo said, giving her younger sister a weak smile.

"Everything looks...nice," Liv added, clearly very uncomfortable being with present company, considering what a disaster their last Friendsgiving celebration was.

"Actually, this was all my mom's doing," Caroline chimed in. "From the decorations right down to the food."

"Wow, Care, your mom really went all out this year," Tyler told his ex, as he whistled in admiration.

"Well, after all that what we've been through this year, she figured we could use a day of celebration," Caroline explained.

"I just wish Bonnie could be here..." Elena muttered softly.

"We all do, Elena," Alaric assured her.

"Why don't you just say out loud what everyone else is thinking?" Liv rolled her eyes dramatically. "Bonnie would be here already, if I didn't end the spell prematurely."

"Liv, that's not what I meant..." Elena tried to apologize to the blonde witch, only Liv was quick to storm out.

"Liv!" Tyler called her back, but she kept walking away. "Excuse me..." he said, before following his girlfriend. "Liv, come on!"

"Wow..." Caroline said with raised eyebrows. "She and Luke are just...so different. Like how you and Kai are different...not that I'm comparing Liv to Kai or anything."

"It's okay. It's the nature of twins, at least in our family," Jo tried to explain. "One has to be more dominant than the other. Otherwise, the merge would be a draw, and at no point in all of our family history has there ever been a draw. There has to be a winner. Our coven needs a leader."

"So...basically, you're saying that Luke is pretty much screwed once he merges with Liv?" Elena asked the lady doctor.

"No...not at all," Jo replied. "Liv's strength lies in her powers. Luke has his own strength, only it lies in some place else."

"Still, pitting siblings against each other...that's beyond barbaric," Alaric pointed out.

"It's the rule of our coven's magic. And you of all people should know, magic isn't perfect," Jo told Ric. "Luke will have to face Liv during their merge. Either way, I still lose one of them," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Speaking of whom, where is your little brother tonight?" Alaric wondered.

"Oh, our grandmother decided to come to town and spend Christmas here at the last minute. Luke volunteered to stay with her, considering he's the one who's closest to her out of all of us," Jo explained.

"You should've brought her with you," Caroline told her. "I'm pretty sure my mom cooked enough food to feed the whole building. Seriously, we could invite the entire college, and there will still be leftovers afterwards."

Elena immediately lifted her gaze when there was another knock on the door, curious and hopeful as to who it was that's about to enter. Liz came out of the kitchen and rushed towards the door.

"I got it," Liz told them. She opened it to let another guest enter. "Honey, it's another one of your friends," she yelled for Caroline.

Elena couldn't hide the look of disappointment when she saw that it wasn't Damon at the door. Then, she turned to Caroline and gave her a suspicious look. "Seriously, Care?" she asked, as she watched Liam put his coat away.

"I'm sorry," Caroline said to her with an apologetic look. "I ran into him earlier, and I found out that he was spending Christmas by himself. Nobody should ever spend the holidays all alone, Elena. That's the whole purpose of this party," she explained.

"I'm assuming you extended the same invitation to Stefan then?" Elena asked through gritted teeth.

"Uhm...I...well..." Caroline stammered.

"Oh, don't worry," Liz whispered to Elena. "I made sure that Stefan was invited tonight."

"MOM!" Caroline protested.

"Sweetheart, Stefan is one of your closest friends," Liz told her daughter. "Whatever issues you have with him at the moment, you can put it off for one night. If you can open up your dorm to acquaintances, surely you can extend the same courtesy to your friend," she pointed out. "Set aside your differences, even if it's just for tonight. Be grateful for everything and everyone that remain in your life. Don't ever take for granted the fact that the people that you care about are still here. They're alive, healthy and safe. That, in and of itself, should be a good enough Christmas present. That's what this little gathering is all about," she added, her fingers gently patting her daughter's cheeks.

"Good evening," Liam greeted everyone as he joined in on the group. "Merry Christmas! I brought fruitcake."

"How nice," Caroline said. "Isn't that nice of him, Elena?" she nudged her friend. Elena only answered her with a death glare.

"It's no big deal. It was on sale. I picked it up at the bakery before they closed tonight," Liam replied.

"Good, that means it's edible, which is more than what I would say if I were to make it," Liz joked, before taking the tray from Liam's hands. "I'll put this on the table." She then turned to the others. "Dinner will be served in half an hour," she informed everyone, before returning to the dining room.

"Hi, Elena," Liam greeted her timorously.

"Hello, Liam," Elena greeted him in return.

There was an awkward silence for a while, before Caroline suddenly chimed in. "What's that, Mom?" she pretended to hear. "You need my help in the kitchen?" She turned to Elena and said, "Mom needs my help."

"I didn't hear anything," Elena hissed inconspicuously.

"I have excellent hearing," Caroline answered. She turned to face Alaric and Jo. "I'm sure Mom could use your help too," she told them as she none-too-subtly shoved the two gently towards the kitchen, ignoring Elena's silent protests.

"Well," Liam said when they were finally alone. "That wasn't obvious at all."

"Yeah, subtlety is not one of Caroline's strong suits," Elena chuckled.

"I haven't seen you at the hospital lately," Liam said.

"Yeah, I couldn't quite keep up with a full load course, so I had to cut back on my volunteer work at the hospital," Elena explained, feeling a little awkward that she had to lie to Liam yet again. "Uhm, I'm gonna go see if they need another pair of hands in the kitchen," she told him, before she proceeded to walk away.

"Wait," Liam stopped her. "Hold it right there," he said, before walking towards Elena.

"Uhm...Liam," Elena muttered, uncomfortable with how close he was to her.

Liam looked up and smiled. "Mistletoe," he pointed to the decoration hanging from the ceiling, before leaning towards Elena, his fingers tilting her chin up, closing the distance between their faces.

* * *

Stefan had been debating back and forth whether or not to proceed towards the dorm room and attend the Forbes-Gilbert Christmas Eve dinner party. He didn't want to make things more awkward between him and Caroline, which is how things would be if he were to attend. Letting out a deep sigh, he turned around to leave. He was surprised when his exit was blocked by the sudden reappearance of his older brother.

"Hello, Brother," Damon greeted him with a smirk on his face. "What you got there?"

Stefan then noticed the almost-forgotten dessert that he was holding in his hands. "Oh...it's, uh, Christmas pudding trifle," he answered.

"Ah," Damon said. "A bribe to get back into Caroline's good graces...or get into her pants?"

"More like a 'Thank You' gift to Liz, for inviting me tonight, and putting in a good word for me," Stefan corrected his brother. "Did YOU bring anything?"

Damon held out his hand, showing him a small plastic container. "Rum balls."

"Really, Damon?" Stefan asked, surprised at how plain it was. "That's all you brought? You didn't make anything scrumptious that will jolt Elena's memory back?"

"Nope," Damon replied, with the usual resounding 'P' at the end. "I've decided to give up that ghost."

"Damon-" Stefan wanted to express his sympathy.

"Stef..." Damon held out his hand to interrupt him. "I don't wanna hear it, alright? Elena is never going to love me again, not if all that she can remember is what an evil monster I am. I'm going to have to learn to accept that."

"And can you, really?" Stefan asked him.

"What other choice do I have? I've tried everything. She can't, or won't, or don't want to remember," Damon replied, the sadness evident in his eyes as much as he tried to hide it.

Stefan sympathized with his brother. He knew first-hand how deeply it hurts when Elena Gilbert falls out of love with you. He decided to change the subject. "So...where have you been anyway? I've been trying to reach you for days."

"Out and about, on a fact-finding mission," Damon replied mysteriously.

"Can you be less cryptic?" Stefan pressed.

"Nope," Damon answered. "Doesn't matter anyway. The whole trip was a bust," he added, stopping when they were finally in front of Elena and Caroline's dorm room. "You going in?"

"After you," Stefan replied.

"Just get your ass inside," Damon urged him, in an annoyed tone.

"You first," Stefan repeated.

"No, thank you. You go ahead. I insist," Damon said firmly.

"It's just a party, Damon. Never known you to refuse a good party," Stefan reminded him.

"A party with people I'm not allowed to eat or compel," Damon pointed out. "Where's the fun in that?"

"I'll go in if you go in," Stefan made a deal with him.

"Why are you being so..." Damon wondered frustratedly. "Oh," he said once it dawned on him. "Caroline..." He smirked. "Still? Seriously? I thought you two have patched things up?"

"We did. We have. We're okay. We...tried," Stefan stammered uncomfortably.

"Uh huh...then why are you so afraid to go inside?" Damon asked boldly.

"I'm not afraid," Stefan grumbled.

"Scaredy cat..." Damon teased his little brother.

"Am not!" Stefan protested.

"Little brother, one of these days, we are going to find out if you actually do have a functioning pair of balls when it comes to your approach with the womenfolk," Damon cheekily commented.

"Look who's talking?" Stefan scoffed. "You're the one who wouldn't go inside because you're afraid to face Elena."

"I'm not afraid," Damon proceeded to correct him. "I'm annoyed. And displeased. And a little bit pissed. And sooo not in the mood to be jolly."

"Grumpy cat," Stefan teased him in a singsong voice.

"I'm leaving," Damon announced, sounding a little irked.

"There's hard liquor inside," Stefan reminded him.

"It's a college dorm, with a sheriff as chaperone. How hard can their liquor be?" Damon pointed out.

"I bet Alaric has good booze," Stefan told him.

"Alaric's taste in booze is just about as good as your taste in hair style," Damon scoffed.

"Ahhh...I take it you two still on the outs," Stefan assumed.

"He threw the first punch...literally. Closely followed by a second one," Damon retorted.

"Well...you shouldn't have compelled him," Stefan tried to reason with the older Salvatore.

"He shouldn't have compelled Elena!" Damon replied furiously. "Shit happens. Life's not fair. Even the best fall down sometimes. If he can't move on from that, then he can kiss my ass."

"Come on, Damon. It's Christmas," Stefan urged him. "Can't you find it in your heart to let bygones be bygones?"

"I'll have to find my heart first...and dust it off," Damon answered sarcastically.

"'Tis the season to forgive and..." Stefan began to say.

"Forget?" Damon finished the sentence for him.

"Okay, poor choice of words," Stefan shook his head and sighed.

"Gee...ya think?" Damon scoffed.

"Let's just go inside, say 'Merry Christmas' to all, have a drink, then we'll leave," Stefan resorted to a compromise.

"One drink?" Damon asked him, considering his brother's idea.

"Well...it starts with one..." Stefan replied with a smile.

Damon was almost sold on the idea, when something caught his eye. Through the window, he saw Liam and Elena standing so close to each other, Liam leaning in for a kiss. "On second thought..." he suddenly changed his mind. "I'll take a raincheck on that drink, Little Brother," he told Stefan, the look of hurt spreading in his expressive blue eyes.

"Damon-" Stefan tried to stop him from leaving.

"I'm sorry, Stef...but I can't be here," Damon said, before he shoved the container of rum balls into Stefan's hand, and walked away in a mad dash .

"Damon!" Stefan called out to him, but it was too late. Damon had already disappeared. Reluctantly, he knocked on the door to join the party.

* * *

Elena saw what Liam was about to do, and immediately pulled away without hesitation before Liam could continue. "Liam...I'm sorry. I can't."

"No, Elena...I'm sorry," Liam said apologetically. "That was inappropriate and out of line. We work together. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Elena nodded and accepted his apology. She was about to join the others in the dining room when she heard a knock on the door. She excused herself, and went to answer it. She was glad to see the person at the door.

"Stefan!" Elena exclaimed. "Merry Christmas!" she greeted him. She looked around if anyone else was with him. "I thought Damon was coming with you?" she asked confusedly.

"He was," Stefan replied drily, as he entered the dorm room. "His foot was almost inside that door too."

"What happened?" Elena asked worriedly.

"You happened," Stefan answered gruffly.

"Excuse me? I...I don't understand," Elena said.

"Well...you and Liam happened," Stefan elaborated.

"No..." Elena muttered, shaking her head as it dawned on her what Damon might have seen. "It's not what it looked like. We weren't..."

"Elena, I know that Alaric compelled your memories away...but I didn't think that your compassion went away with it," Stefan said accusingly.

"Stefan, please...this was all just a huge misunderstanding," Elena tried to explain.

"Stefan...there you are," Liz said as she came into the living room. "Right on time too. Dinner's almost ready."

"Merry Christmas, Liz," Stefan greeted her, handing her the rum balls and the trifle. "Damon sends his holiday greetings."

Alaric chose that time to come out of the kitchen, followed closely by Jo and Caroline. "Hey, Stefan," Ric nodded his head at him, before setting the Christmas ham down on the dining table. "I thought Damon would be joining us tonight."

"He lost his festive mood," Stefan replied icily, staring at Elena, who was already on her cellphone.

"Damn it! He's not answering his phone!" Elena grumbled in frustration.

"Why would he? So you can rip his heart out some more?" Stefan scoffed at her.

"What's going on?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Nothing, Care," Elena replied. "There was just a bit of confusion," she said, before dialing Damon's number again.

"Damon saw Elena and Liam almost kissing," Stefan told Caroline, his tone was very accusatory.

"That was totally my fault-" Liam interjected.

"I got this, Liam!" Elena hissed at the young medical student. She held Liam's gaze with her eyes. "Go back to the dining room. Have a seat. Wait there until we join you for dinner," she compelled him.

"Elena!" Caroline admonished her friend, as she watched Liam do exactly what he was compelled to do.

"Not now, Caroline!" Elena said through gritted teeth, before turning her attention back to the younger Salvatore. "Stefan, you got it all wrong. We weren't kissing!" Elena protested. "Liam and I, we're done. I broke up with him last Thanksgiving."

"Did Liam know that when he had his hands on you?" Stefan retorted.

"Stefan!" Caroline chastised him. "Elena has her memories back. All of it," she informed him. "She had all the intention of making up with your stubborn brother. Against my advice, I might add. I admit, I've been rooting for Elena to be with Liam, but she won't have him," she defended her best friend. "Can't you see? Elena remembers that she loves Damon. Only Damon. And if I can find it in myself to be supportive of her, then you can too."

"She shouldn't have forgotten him in the first place," Stefan pointed out. "You call me a crappy friend for not being there for you for months while you were in grief? What do you call a woman who chooses to forget everything that is good about the man that she loves?" he argued.

"And I take full responsibility for that," Elena told him, her ears still glued to her phone. "Believe me, I'll be apologizing my heart out to Damon...once I find him."

"If he even lets you find him, that is," Stefan said to her, before walking away to join Liz and the others for dinner.

* * *

Dinner came and went, the interaction between the other guests were uncomfortable and awkward. Only Liz made the effort to make sure that everyone was at least civil to one another. Much to her relief, nobody left the party early. Everyone complied out of respect for her. After dinner, Caroline moved everyone to the living room, for some eggnog and dessert. They sang carols and exchanged stories until they lost track of time. Eventually, the clock chimed at the stroke of midnight, and everyone greeted each other 'Merry Christmas' and began to open presents.

Caroline tried to get Elena to joined in on the festivities, but she was busy on her cellphone, leaving more messages for Damon. She sighed worriedly as she noticed Elena grew more and more upset. Liz noticed the guilty look on her daughter's face.

"Caroline?" Liz broke into her daughter's thoughts.

"This was partly my fault, Mom," Caroline told her mother.

"Go to her," Liz told her daughter.

Caroline nodded her head, and went to Elena. Liz was about to rejoin the others, when her cellphone rang. She seemed confused when she saw who it was on the caller ID. She went back to the kitchen to answer the call in private.

"Still no answer?" Caroline asked Elena.

Elena shook her head. "Where is he? Damn it, Damon! Answer your phone!" she said frustratedly.

"Look, he promised my mom that he'd be here. He'd come, eventually, " Caroline assured her.

"The party's almost over. It's been hours, Care," Elena pointed out. "I'm beginning to get worried. What if...what if he left town already? What if he's left me for good?"

"Nah, I'm sure he's just letting his head cool off," Caroline reassured her. "He'd be walking through that door any moment now."

Elena was about to say something, when she saw Liz come out of the kitchen, seemingly upset, and walked towards Stefan. Curiously, Elena decided to join them, with Caroline right behind her.

"Stefan? Can I talk to you in private, please?" Liz asked the younger Salvatore.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Caroline asked her mother.

"I'll tell you in a moment, Sweetie," Liz replied with a sad smile. "Right now, I need to speak with Stefan."

"Mom-" Caroline tried to press the issue.

"Caroline, please!" Liz begged her daughter in a slightly raised voice.

"It's fine, Liz," Stefan assured the sheriff. "You can tell me whatever it is right here."

"It's Damon..." Liz began to tell him.

"Oh, great. What did he do now?" Ric retorted.

"Alaric, I believe Liz was talking to me," Stefan hissed at him. There was an uncomfortable feeling sinking in the pit of his stomach, telling him that it was wrong to let Damon run off all alone, when his brother was obviously very upset.

"You see? This is why we should talk in private," Liz reminded him.

"Liz, just spit it out!" Stefan snapped.

"They found Damon's body," Liz informed him as calmly as she could.

Stefan remained silent for a while, not quite sure if he heard the sheriff correctly. "Well...that has to be some mistake. Wait an hour or so. He'd be back on his feet again," he said nervously.

"Your brother was in Mystic Falls, Stefan," Liz told him. "He was...human," she added, pausing for a bit to let the news sink in. "My deputies found him outside his Camaro, face down on the ground. Preliminaries say that he died from a gunshot wound to the chest."

"I don't understand," Stefan shook his head, still in denial. "I was just talking to him earlier..."

"I'm so sorry, Stefan," Liz tried to console him.

"This can't be happening," Elena whispered in a pained tone. "Not again..."

"Elena..." Alaric tried to comfort her.

Elena flinched away from Ric, and moved towards Liz. "No...your people are wrong!" she told the sheriff. "Damon can't be dead. I can't lose him again! I haven't even told him that my memories are back! He can't be dead!" she hysterically sobbed in denial. Caroline wrapped her arms around her to comfort her crying friend.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Liz tried to calm her down, tears starting to fill her eyes as well. She went to face Stefan again. "I'll arrange for his body to be transferred to Whitmore Medical Center Coroner's office, so you can positively ID him..." she patted him on the shoulder, before excusing herself to make the phone call.

"Stefan..." Elena sobbed, as she caught his eyes with her own.

"Not now, Elena," Stefan muttered softly. "Not now," he repeated, before turning around, and storming out of the dorm room.

* * *

The next day...Christmas day...Liz had Damon's body transferred to Whitmore Medical's Coroners Office, like she promised. Stefan headed over there to identify and claim his brother's body. He tried desperately to keep his emotions in check, not wanting to break down and lose control, if only for his dead brother's sake.

"Stefan Salvatore?" he turned his head up at the sound of his name.

"Yes," Stefan answered softly.

"Mr. Salvatore, my name is Dr. Parish-" a young lady doctor was talking to him, but was interrupted.

"Lanie..." Dr. Jo Laughlin called the other doctor, as she ran towards them.

"Jo? What can I help you with?" the woman asked curiously.

"I got this," Jo told the young medical examiner.

"Dr. Laughlin, this is hardly procedure..." Dr. Parish answered reluctantly.

"Lanie, please," Jo pleaded. "He's a friend. And it's Christmas..."

"Alright," Dr. Parish relented. She turned to face Stefan. "Mr. Salvatore, my condolences for your loss. I'm sure that you'd be more comfortable with Dr. Laughlin walking you through this," she told him, before turning around and walking out of the office.

"You ready?" Jo asked Stefan as soon as Dr. Parish was out of the room.

"No," Stefan answered softly. "Nothing will ever prepare me for this. But if we wait until I'm ready, we'd be waiting here for all eternity. I'm pretty sure I can outlive you," he told Jo. "Let's do this."

Jo nodded her head. "Right this way," she told Stefan, ushering him into an adjacent room.

"Wait!" Elena yelled, as she burst in through the door.

"Elena?" Stefan whispered.

"I wanna see him," Elena told Stefan. "Please...don't turn me away!"

"Elena, that's not necessary," Stefan said, his heart aching as he watched her crumble.

"No, I have to do this," Elena insisted. "I have to see for myself!"

"Alright," Stefan finally agreed. "We'll do this...together," he said, offering her his hand.

"Thank you, Stefan," Elena whispered gratefully, before taking the hand that he offered. Together, they stepped forward, and followed Jo into the next room.

The two stood a few paces back, as Jo opened storage freezer. Jo motioned for them to step closer. Supernatural or not, there was no easier way to do this. Slowly, she pulled down the sheet that was covering the cadaver's face. Stefan slammed his eyes shut, as the distinct smell of dead flesh hit his nostrils. It took him a moment to open his eyes again, to confirm what he's already been told. There, in that cold metal slab, laid his brother's dead body. As much as he fought them, the tears soon filled his eyes. All of a sudden, Elena gasped, before collapsing to the floor, Stefan not quick enough to catch her.

"Oh God! Oh God! It's him! It's really him! It's true! He's gone!" Elena sobbed hysterically at the sight of Damon's corpse.

Soon enough, Stefan knelt next to her, taking her into his arms, as she to continued to fall to pieces. They stayed there crumpled on the floor for a while, lamenting in grief at the loss of the man they both loved dearly.

* * *

A few hours later, they returned to Elena's dorm room back at Whitmore. Stefan initially opted for a quiet burial, but Elena begged him, insisting that Damon deserved a service. In the end, she won the argument, and Stefan spent a lot of his time on the phone, making funeral arrangements for his brother on Christmas day. Caroline tried to offer him her help, but just like before, he brushed her off, and instead, told her to make sure that Elena was alright.

It didn't take long before others visited the dorm to offer their condolences. Alaric was the first one to arrive, giving Elena his warmest embrace. He tried talking to Stefan, but the vampire only ignored him. Another knock on the door, and the Parkers were let in. Luke tried to offer his condolences on behalf of his family, but by that time, Elena had frozen everyone out. Caroline had offered her a blood bag earlier, worried that it had been a while since she's fed, but Elena acted as if she didn't hear her. Not long after that, Elena had slipped into a catatonic state, which had Caroline genuinely concerned that her best friend might be close to flipping her switch again.

All of a sudden, there was another knock on the door, closely followed by Jeremy's head poking inside. "Merry Christmas!" he greeted loudly, oblivious to everything that had transpired.

"Prove it!" Stefan snapped at the younger Gilbert, before angrily storming out of the room.

"What the hell is up with him?" Jeremy scoffed. "And you say that I don't have any Christmas spirit!"

"I forgot to tell him about Damon," Alaric explained apologetically.

"What did that dick do now?" Jeremy retorted.

"He's dead," Elena managed to whisper. It was the first time that she spoke to anyone in hours. "Excuse me," she said to no one in particular, before she stepped out into the balcony to get some air.

"What did she mean that Damon's dead?" Jeremy asked confusedly. "He gave me a call just last night."

"What did he say?" Alaric asked.

"I...I didn't take the phone call," Jeremy admitted. "Look...I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, least of all, HIM," he tried to explain.

"My mom said that his body was found inside Mystic Falls," Caroline informed the young man. "You think maybe he was on his way to see you?"

"I can't see why," Jeremy replied. "I've been an ass to him ever since he returned without Bonnie."

"Then what the hell was he doing, setting foot inside Mystic Falls?" Alaric asked in frustration. "He knew what would happen if he did!"

"You think he might have done it on purpose?" Jeremy asked the history professor. Ric merely shrugged.

"It's a possibility," Caroline muttered reluctantly. "Look...I wasn't supposed to say this, but I overheard my mom earlier on the phone," she said with a deep sigh. "They found Damon's body, collapsed outside of his Camaro. He was parked outside Bonnie's old house...clutching Miss Cuddles in his hands," she revealed.

"Wait, what was he doing outside Bonnie's house?" Jeremy asked confusedly.

"Isn't it obvious?" Caroline replied exasperatedly. "It all finally caught up with him. The guilt of coming home without Bonnie. Elena losing her memories of him. His best friend switching loyalties for a woman he'd just met-"

"Hey!" Alaric warned her.

"I'm just saying, there's only so much hurt a man can take," Caroline reasoned.

"So, you're telling us that there's a chance that Damon may have offed himself?" Jeremy asked incredulously.

"I don't believe it," Alaric said to them, shaking his head.

"Elena's been blaming herself. She really believes that it's her fault that Damon is dead. She thinks that she may have upset Damon with the whole Liam mix-up. And we all know that Damon has this habit of doing impulsive things when he's upset." Caroline told them.

"Damon would never commit suicide. He's too ornery for that," Ric refused to believe it.

"Uhm, hello? He committed suicide month's ago! Which is what started this whole problem in the first place!" Caroline reminded him.

Alaric shook his head again. "He went on a suicide mission, he didn't commit suicide. There's a distinction," he pointed out. "He sacrificed himself to get his brother back...to get people like ME back...from the Other Side," he said, filled with guilt. He sighed when his argument was met with silence. "I need a drink," he told them, before turning around to leave the room.

* * *

Elena remained at the balcony, tuning out the conversation coming from the living room. She continued to stare into blank space, as her mind was filled with thoughts of Damon. She began to play the 'if-only' game. If only Damon answered his phone. If only Liam hadn't tried to kiss her. If only Damon had stayed. If only he knew her memories had returned. If only she had been strong enough instead and not ask Ric to compel her memories away. If only. If only.

"Beg your pardon..." Elena was startled when she heard an unfamiliar female voice from behind her.

"What?" Elena turned around and snapped at the woman.

She was an elderly woman, in her early 70's, dressed in a long, black dress, and had dark glasses on. "Excuse me, dear. I'm a bit parched. Is this the way to the kitchen?" the woman asked politely.

"No, this in NOT the kitchen!" Elena replied angrily. "This is the balcony! Are you blind?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am," the woman said, as she took her glasses off to show her eyes. They were all white, and there were burn scars around the lids.

"I'm so sorry-" Elena tried to apologize to the old woman.

"Rani! There you are!" they were interrupted by Luke, joined by Liv.

"You know her?" Elena asked them.

"Yes," Liv answered. "I told you, if you wanted to bring her here, she's your responsibility," she scolded Luke.

"I looked away for half a second!" Luke replied. He turned to Elena. "I'm sorry if my she disturbed you."

"Yeah, the useless old hag is as blind as a bat. Can't do anything for herself," Liv said rudely.

"The old hag is blind, not deaf," the grandmother admonished the young blonde witch. Liv huffed and walked away. She turned her attention to Elena. "Romana Shipton. I'm the grandmother of Josette, Lucas and Olivia," she introduced herself, as she held out her hand.

Elene took the old woman's hand and shook it. "And Kai's..." she said.

"Unfortunately," Romana answered sadly.

"My name's Elena Gilbert," Elena introduced herself.

"I know," Romana told her.

"How?" Elena asked curiously.

"You doppelgangers are famous in our circuit," Romana answered.

There was an awkward silence for a while, until Luke spoke up. "I'm sorry we disturbed you," he told Elena. He then proceeded to guide his grandmother back inside. "Let's go, Rani."

But the old woman wouldn't budge. "He was yours?" Romana asked Elena.

"Excuse me?" Elena was confused at the question.

"The man that we are mourning today...he belonged to you," the old woman clarified.

Yes," Elena answered. "He was mine, as I was his."

"Ah, a love that defied death, and time, and the universe," Romana said mysteriously.

"You seem to know a lot," Elena replied suspiciously.

"I see beyond what normal people can," Romana answered. "You have something that belongs to him," it wasn't a question.

"Yes, I do," Elena replied, reaching for Damon's ring that was on a chain around her neck. She 'borrowed' it from Stefan earlier.

"May I?" Romana asked, her palm stretched out.

"I don't know..." Elena said reluctantly, as she looked at Luke for answers.

"She's a psychometrist. She can see things by touching personal items. It's the only ability she has left, since she lost her powers to Kai that night he blinded her," Luke explained.

Elena hesitated at first, before she took off the chain from her neck. "Alright..." she said as she handed Damon's ring to Romana.

Romana took the ring and placed on the palm of her her hand, before she covered it with her other hand. She remained in silent concentration for a while, before she gasped. "His was not a life filled with joy," she said, as tears came falling down her cheeks.

"No, it was not," Elena muttered silently.

"The final three days of his life, he spent in misery," the old woman revealed to Elena.

"I...I have no idea where he was the last few days before his death," Elena said, tears filling her own eyes.

"You have another friend...Bonnie. His last moments, he was thinking how she should have returned instead of him. That he didn't deserve to come back..." Romana added.

"NO!" Elena screamed. "They should BOTH be here!"

"He loved you," Romana calmly told Elena. "With all his heart. But he never believed that he was truly worthy of your love. And he hated himself for not being good enough for you."

"That's not true!" Elena protested.

"I'm only telling you what he felt, dear," Romana explained to her.

"I love him! And he...he loved me!" Elena said, as she grew more agitated.

"And if love were enough, you'd be together right now," Romana pointed out, before returning Damon's ring to Elena.

"He shouldn't have died," Elena whispered, grief-stricken.

"On the contrary, dear...the only time you seem to know his true value, is when you lose him," Romana pointed out.

"Okay, Rani...that's enough," Luke told his grandmother. "I'm sorry to upset you," he apologized to Elena on behalf of Romana.

Luke guided his grandmother back inside. And once again, Elena was left in the balcony, all alone in her grief.

* * *

A few hours later, Elena knocked loudly at Luke's door. When there was no answer, she started banging her fist louder to get his attention.

"I know you're in there!" Elena yelled. "Open up!"

In a few moments, the door opened. "Elena!" Luke chastised her. "You might disturb the neighbors."

"Nice try...everyone else is home for Christmas break," Elena reminded him. "Is your grandmother here?"

Luke hesitated for a while, "Come in," he invited her inside. He ushered her into the living room, where his grandmother was having tea. "Rani, Elena would like to talk to you."

"I've been expecting you, dear," Romana told Elena.

"Mrs. Shipton..." Elena said.

"You may call me Romana," she told the young vampire.

"Romana," Elena repeated. "I was wondering if you knew a way to bring Damon back?"

"Elena..." Luke interjected. "I told you, my grandmother is powerless. Kai drained it all."

"That doesn't mean that she has no magic," Elena argued. "And you can help her with the spell! Please, Luke! Help me bring Damon back!"

Luke let out a deep sigh. "Even if we agree to do this, we wouldn't know where to start. The Other Side is gone, Elena," Luke reminded her. "There's no spirit world for Damon to go to. He's not in some other worldly time prison with Bonnie. He's just...dead. Damon's gone, Elena. The best thing we can hope for is that he's crossed over and found peace."

"But he hasn't!" Elena protested. "You heard what your grandmother said. He was angry...and miserable...and broken-hearted...when he died. He hasn't found peace!"

"We can't alter fate, Elena. You know the rules of magic. Balance is required. Everything comes with a price," Luke reminded her.

"Then I'll pay for it!" Elena snapped at him.

"Perhaps, you don't have to," Romana interrupted their discussion.

"Rani..." Luke shook his head at his grandmother.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked, suddenly filled with hope again.

"Well... it is the season for second chances," Romana answered. "We can't change fate...not without consequences. But perhaps, we can interrupt it."

"I don't understand..." Elena said, her eyebrows furrowed.

"What if I tell you that there's a chance...a way for you to go back...return to a time when Damon was still alive? Will you take it?" Romana asked her.

"YES!" Elena answered immediately.

"A Time-Rewind spell?" Luke realized what his grandmother was trying to say. "Rani...I've never done that spell. I've never even tried."

"There's a first time for everything," Romana told him.

"I don't know if I can!" Luke said.

"I believe in you," Romana replied. "Maybe, it's time that you believe in yourself. Lucas, your magic is just as strong as your sister's. Only you have something that she refuses to use. You have a powerful heart. Use it to help your friend."

"You can do this, Luke," Elena encouraged the young warlock.

"Fine," Luke agreed. "I'll do it. I'll help you," he told Elena. "What do we have to do?" he asked his grandmother.

"Do you still have your lover's ring?" Romana asked Elena.

"Yes," Elena answered, handing Damon's ring over to Luke.

"Put it on the ground," Romana told Luke. He did as he was told. "We need your blood, Elena," she said.

"Why?" Elena asked her.

"We need it to connect you to him," Romana explained.

Elena bit into her wrist. "Now what?"

"Make sure your blow flows into the ring," Romana told her.

Elena held out her arm, and drenched Damon's ring with her blood. "Done."

"Good. Now pick it up pick it up and put the ring on your left ring finger," Romana instructed her.

"It has to be my left ring finger? It doesn't fit," Elena said to the old witch.

"It doesn't matter," Romana replied. "It just needs to be on your left ring finger, because it's the only one with a vein that's directly connected to your heart. For this spell to work, we need to link your heart with his. It's the only way we can lead you back to him," she explained. "Now put the ring on."

"Okay," Elena put Damon's ring on her left ring finger, as instructed.

"Before we proceed, you must remember the rules, Elena," Romana reminded her. "You have 72 hours. That's all you get. And whatever you do, you can't change his fate. Damon will still die on Christmas Eve...a few minutes before Christmas."

"No...you...you don't understand," Elena shook her head. "I love him! If there's something...anything...I can do to save him...to prevent him from dying... then I have to try!"

"Those are the rules, Elena. You must adhere to them," Romana said sternly.

"Three days?" Elena choked on the words. "That's not enough time!"

"Elena, those three days are a gift," Romana reasoned with her. "It's a chance to make him happy in his final moments. You say you love him? Make sure that he knows that. Give him all the love in the world. Consider it your present for Damon on the last Christmas of his life."

"And if I violate these rules, what then?" Elena challenged the old witch.

"Then the spell will be broken. And you will be dragged back here, right where you are," Romana answered.

"Elena, Damon died believing that he wasn't loved," Luke reminded her. "If you can ease that pain, even just for a little bit, you can make sure that he finds peace in the afterlife."

Elena nodded her head, as more tears fell from her eyes. "Fine, let's do this."

Romana and Luke joined heir hands together, forming a small circle, with Elena in the middle. "Lucas, repeat after me," the old witch said to the young warlock.

"_OMNIS VERTO MASVENIT PRO REDINTEGRO PRO ELISTA!"_

* * *

**A/N** :

* * *

*Put the pitchforks and the torches down, people! This is just the introduction!

*This was supposed to be a short prologue that mutated into a long chapter. Hope you stay with me in this journey, as the story progresses.

*Right...predictions on how exactly will Elena give Damon the happiest last Christmas of his life? That has to be a struggle for her, right?

*After this chapter, the story will mostly be Delena-centric. This is a DE fic, after all. But there will be occasional appearances and mentions of the other characters.

*Not a fan of the Parkers or any of the Gemini coven, so I had to write my own character. But the person who made the prompt is a fan of Luke's, so I had to find a way to write him in.

_****To my Loyal Readers...**_

_**I know I have other stories pending, and I know some of you have been anxious for updates. The thing is, some time during the PCA voting, my POS computer went all out FUBAR on me. Lost all my data, research, outlines and all the chapters that I have written so far. It will take me a while before I can update, seeing as I am rewriting them from my own memory. So if you or someone you know are a fan of my previous stories, I implore you to be patient. I will update them, I just don't know exactly when. At the moment, I have no choice but to write stories from the plot bunny drawer. I hope you enjoy them just the same. Thank you kindly for your patience.**_

_**Love, IcyJadeXOXO**_


	2. You're All I Want For Christmas

**A/N** : _Dear Penny, I hope you appreciate the fact that I'm writing this chapter while I am baking my Christmas cupcakes. You're welcome._

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO – You're All I Want For Christmas**

* * *

_12:01am, December 22nd..._

Elena woke up with a start, confused as to where she was. Her hand felt for the switch to turn on the lamp. She shook her head vigorously to clear the cobwebs of her sleepy brain.

_It was just a dream. All of it._

It all felt so real to her. The way her heart broke when Damon died. How her entire world crumbled when she lost the man that she loved the second time around.

_Wait a minute. The man I loved. I loved Damon. I remember everything! I love Damon Salvatore!_

Elena looked around, taking in her surroundings. She wasn't in her room...nor in her bed. At least, not in her dorm back at Whitmore. No, she was in her old room back at the lake house, which only confused her more.

_The lake house? But that was a few days ago. _

She looked at the calendar to confirm the date. It was December 22nd...three days before Christmas. She then checked her left ring finger. She gasped loudly. Sure enough, she was wearing Damon's daylight ring, still stained with her blood.

_Oh, God! It was real! It was all real! It's December 22nd! I have less than 72 hours!_

She hurriedly reached for the bedside table to retrieve her cellphone, and quickly dialed a number that she hoped she'd remembered correctly.

"Hello?" the male voice answered on the other line.

"Luke!" Elena breathed a sigh of relief.

"Elena?" the warlock asked.

"Yes, it's me," Elena answered breathlessly. "I need your help."

"Well, get in line, sister," Luke told her. "Apparently, it's 'Ask Luke for help' night. I'm at the airport to pick up my grandmother, who decided at the last minute to spend Christmas with me."

"Your grandmother?" Elena repeated.

"Yeah," Luke replied. "She's coming in from Wisconsin. Sorry, Elena. As much as I wanna help you, it's gonna have to wait. My grandmother needs me. She has trouble getting around because-"

"She's blind," Elena finished the sentence for him.

"Yes...how did you know?" Luke asked suspiciously.

"I'll explain later," Elena replied. "Go pick up your grandmother. I'll meet you back at your dorm."

"Elena-" Luke said.

"Please, Luke...it's urgent," Elena begged him.

"Alright, we should be back at the dorm in a couple of hours," Luke informed her.

"Thank you!" Elena said to him, before hanging up.

She made a mad dash towards her closet to put some pants on, then rummaged through her drawers for her bra. She grabbed the nearest sweatshirt within her reach and put it on. She barely noticed Caroline walking into her room.

"What's with all the ruckus?" Caroline asked sleepeily.

"No time to explain, Care," Elena told her. "CliffsNotes version...I remember how much I love Damon. I'm going to have Luke track him down, and I'm going to get him back."

"Can't it wait till tomorrow?" Caroline asked. "It's past midnight," she grumbled.

"It can't wait, Care," Elena answered, as she searched for her keys. "It's okay...go back to bed. I'll call you later," she said, as she rushed out the door, leaving Caroline confused.

* * *

A couple of hours later, back at Whitmore, Elena knocked urgently on Luke's door, hoping he was already home. She sighed with relief when the door started to open.

"Elena!" Luke said, startled. "We just got in-"

"Can I come in?" Elena interrupted him.

"Of course," Luke answered, before stepping aside to let her in.

Elena entered the dorm and was ushered into the living room, where she was met by a familiar face. Luke immediately went to his grandmother's side and proceeded to introduce her to Elena.

"Rani, this is-" Luke began to speak.

"Elena Gilbert," his grandmother finished for him.

"Ah...yeah," Luke said confusedly. He then turned to his vampire friend. "Elena this is my grandmother-"

"Romana Shipton," Elena interrupted him. "We've met."

"How?" Luke asked, even more confused.

Elena then began to tell him about Damon, what happened...or supposed to happen, and her mission in the next three days.

"Hold up...you're telling me that YOU came from the future?" Luke asked incredulously. "Again...how?"

"You called it a Time-Rewind spell," Elena answered.

"Who sent you back?" Luke asked again.

"You did," Elena replied. She noticed the disbelieving look on the warlock's face. "Luke, I'm serious. You sent me back from the past. Well, you and your grandmother."

"This is crazy!" Luke exclaimed.

"It's true, Lucas," Romana confirmed.

"You remember, Rani? Hold up, if I did the spell, shouldn't I remember too?" Luke pressed.

"That's another question for another time," Romana replied.

"Yeah, I'm kinda working on a time-crunch here," Elena reminded them.

"What do you need, dear?" Romana asked her.

"Well, you told me that my blood on Damon's ring would lead me to Damon..." Elena reminded the old witch. "Does it look like I'm anywhere near him?"

"The spell led you to a time when Damon is still alive," Romana pointed out.

"I need to find Damon," Elena told them. "I only have three days to fix things. I need you to do a locator spell, Luke."

Luke turned to his grandmother, then to Elena, and then back to his grandmother. "Okay, fine." He took out a map from his drawer. "I need something that belongs to Damon.

"Here you go," Elena said, handing him Damon's ring.

Luke sat on the floor, spread the map open, and held Damon's ring in his hand. Softly, he began to chant. "Permisso Lac Tha Tar. Permisso Laca Tha Tar. Permisso Laca Tha Tar..." He continued to chant for a few minutes, before he pointed a location on the map. "Right there," he said. "Damon is in Charleston, West Virginia."

"Thank you, Luke!" Elena hugged him tightly, before she vamp-sped out of the room and back to her car.

* * *

Elena reached her car, and was about to get in, when she noticed something odd about the tires.

"No...no...no!" Elena said, as she slammed her hands on the door in frustration.

"Elena, my grandmother wanted me to remind you-" Luke stopped her, and then noticed her anger. "Uh oh...what happened now?"

"I have a flat!" Elena hissed.

"Wow...seems like the universe is against you," Luke told her. He flinched when Elena answered him with a death glare. "Come on, Elena! You didn't expect this to be an easy task, did you? I mean, you're defying time and fate. It's bound to be difficult."

"Then, help me!" Elena snapped at him.

"I've been helping you!" Luke reminded her. "All things considered, I'd say my grandmother and I have been nothing but helpful."

"Luke, please...I need to get to Damon," Elena pleaded.

"Fine! I'll help you change your tires," Luke offered.

Elena shook her head. "I don't have enough spares. And it's almost 3 in the morning...all the car rentals are still closed." Then it dawned on her. "Luke, I know you've been playing chauffeur for the past couple of hours..."

"Oh, no..." Luke refused. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!"

"Come on, Luke...please?" Elena begged him.

"Okay, fine!" Luke relented. "Just give me a moment," he said, before turning around to type a message on his phone." When he was done, he turned his attention back to Elena. "Alright, lets go."

"Who was that?" Elena asked, as she followed Luke to his car.

"I sent a message to Liv. I need her to watch over our grandmother while I'm out," Luke explained. "Get in," he said, ushering Elena inside his car.

* * *

Luke drove in silence, while Elena kept her eyes on the rode. Unable to stand the awkwardness, Luke finally spoke.

"Any idea what's Damon doing in West Virginia?" Luke asked.

"No clue," Elena shook her head. "I've been trying to call him, but he's been avoiding me. With good reason, I suppose. What I did really hurt him."

"In your defense, I've seen how messed up you were after his death. You did what you thought you had to do," Luke said compassionately.

"Thanks, Luke...but my friends have been coddling me and letting me off the hook. It's time that I realized the gravity of what I did," Elena told him. "I was selfish. I didn't think of how this would affect Damon. I was only thinking of myself. Hell, I didn't even try to look for ways to bring him back. I just did nothing."

"You're doing something now," Luke pointed out.

"Yeah, but I had to lose Damon all over again, before I got off my ass to finally search for a way to get him back," Elena replied. "And look at this...you and your grandmother have been doing most of the work so far. Why are you helping me any way?"

"I don't know," Luke shrugged. "My grandmother seems to be pretty adamant on helping you. And if that's the case, then there must be a reason. Any idea what that reason might be?"

"No..." Elena whispered in reply. "I have no idea," she added, no curious about the old witch's motive. She kept mostly to herself after that, as the two continued the ride in silence.

*"Oh my God, Luke! Stop the car!" Elena yelled immediately when she noticed a familiar vehicle.

"Wha-what?" Luke asked confusedly, fatigue setting in after driving for over five hours.

"That's the Camaro!" Elena pointed at Damon's car. "He's here!"

Luke looked for the nearest place to park, and stopped the car. "Finally!"

Elena stared at the young warlock for a moment, then gave his hand a squeeze. "Thanks, Luke. I really appreciate everything that you did for me."

"You're welcome," Luke replied. "Now, go look for Damon."

"Aren't you coming with me?" Elena asked him.

"Nah...I need to get back to Whitmore. Make sure Liv and Rani haven't murdered each other," Luke chuckled.

"At least let me buy you a 'Thank You' breakfast," Elena insisted.

"Don't mention it," Luke said. "I'll just grab a coffee and a bagel for the road. I really should be heading back."

"Thank you again," Elena said, as she stepped out of the car.

"Go get your man, sister," Luke said with a huge smile on his face, before starting the engine, and driving away.

* * *

Elena searched extensively all over the area nearest to where the Camaro was parked. She scoured the streets for Damon, growing more worried as the time passed. Finally, she spotted him coming out of the convenience store next to the petrol station. She gazed upon him lovingly, her eyes welling up as she stood there frozen, taking in his appearance. There he stood, looking so desirable in his usual dark grey shirt, black jeans, biker boots and his leather jacket. All those exterior appearances aside, it was his smile, his face, his lips, his unruly hair, his arms wrapped around her...and those tantalizing blue eyes...those are things she missed the most about him. Unable to stand the distance between hem, she rushed towards him, and was in front of him in a flash.

Damon was stunned when a blur flew into his arms, a familiar set of lips immediately connecting with his. His mouth was captured in an all-consuming kiss, something he had only felt with one woman...the woman who held his heart hostage the past few years. He gave into the kiss and let Elena take the lead, both of them moaning breathlessly as the kiss deepened, both of them gasping for air that they didn't need. The tongues doing a seductive dance inside each others' mouths, their teeth playfully biting and scraping and trapping their lips, unwilling to let the other one go.

Once they finally pulled away, Elena found her voice and spoke. "THAT is how I should have kissed you when you came back to me."

Damon furrowed his brow and just stared at her. "You remember..." he said, his tone matching the expression on his face, full of pain and disappointment.

Elena looked at him with confusion. "I remember everything," she confirmed moving closer to him, but was crestfallen when Damon flinched away from her touch. "Damon...I love you," she declared, as she tried to touch him again.

Whether it was deliberate or not, Damon pulled away from her slightly. He stared upon her worn-out features. "Look at you. You look dead on you feet," he said, as his fingers gently sweep strands of her hair away from her eyes.

"I had to get to you," Elena replied, still frustrated that he wouldn't allow her to hold him. "Damon-"

"Shhh," he silenced her. "Later," he told her. "Where's your car?"

"Luke drove me here," she answered. She continued to stare into his eyes, as they look at her guarded, restrained and reluctant, as if he was still unwilling to trust her.

"Well, what do you know...Blunder Twin number two finally made himself useful," Damon joked, as he put up his walls once again, making his face unreadable.

Elena gaped at him. She had seen more expression on a statues face. "Damon, why are you pushing me away?"

"I'm not," he shrugged. "Deep down, I just know that this won't last. I'm just preparing myself for the aftermath. Bad news tends to hit twice as hard if you don't expect it."

"Damon...this is real-" Elena attempted to touch him once again.

"For how long, Elena?" Damon snapped, as he flinched away again. "How long before you, or your friends, or the universe finds a way to keep us apart again?

Elena stared at him, dumbfounded. "I won't let that happen?"

"YOU won't let that happen?" Damon disbelievingly retorted. "It was you who gave up on us in the first place!"

"Damon, please..." Elena begged him.

"Elena...you're not the only one who's tired. I've been driving for days. I just came off from being on the road for 16 hours. I'm exhausted. I'm hungry. I'm cranky," he told her, as he combed his hair with his hand. "So, if it's not so much trouble to you...I really would just love some peace and quiet. And some breakfast." With that he turned around and walked away.

Her lips quivered as she stared at his retreating form. "Damon, wait up!" she called, sprinting forward to follow him.

* * *

Without uttering a word to each other, the stepped inside the closest diner, Sabrina's Kitchen. Elena smiled sadly at the elderly woman who ushered them into a booth by the window. The woman smiled in return, as she handed them a menu.

"Good morning, lovebirds!" the woman energetically greeted them. "Welcome to Sabrina's Kitchen, my name's Sabrina. What would you two like for breakfast on this fine day?"

"I...I'll just have some coffee, please," Elena answered timidly.

"Coffee?" Sabrina asked dubiously. She ten turned a questionable glare to Damon's direction. "And you, sweetheart?"

Damon looked at the menu. "Apple-cinnamon pancakes, poached eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, and a mug hot chocolate," he answered.

Sabrina wrote it all down on her order pad and repeated it to him. "Gotcha."

"Those are all for her," Damon said, giving Elena the eye. "I will be having the country-fried steak, biscuits and gravy, eggs over easy, with cheese grits on the side, and a tall cup of your strongest coffee."

Sabrina laughed and looked at Damon and Elena with a twinkle in her eyes. "Oh...you two. You just remind me so much of me and my Harvey on our first fight during our honeymoon!" she continued to giggle. She turned to Elena. "Don't worry, Sweetheart...you'll get used to the stubbornness. My Harvey and I have been married for 42 years, and he still drives me bananas. But you know what? I can't imagine what my life would be like without him." She then turned to look at Damon. "And you! Piece of advice, Honey Pie...let her win each and every argument. A happy wife equals a happy life, if you know what I mean," she smiled naughtily and gave Damon a wink, before walking away.

Damon shook his head, looking amused with the owner of the diner. He couldn't help feel a sense of familiarity with the elder lady. He wasn't sure why, but Sabrina reminded him of Bonnie, for some odd reason. Elena was pleased to see obvious change in Damon's disposition.

"Was that a smile?" Elena asked him. He tried to cover it with a smirk, but it was too late. "Yep, that's a smile! Come on, don't hide it!" she beamed.

"Sabrina just reminds me of someone," Damon argued.

"A very wise someone," Elena surmised.

Damon fell silent again, much to her disappointment. Slowly, her hands reached for his. She was glad that Damon didn't pull away this time. She held his eyes with her own, happy that he chose not to look away.

"I know how she feels, you know...when she said that she can't imagine her life without her husband? I know that feeling. I've lived it," Elena began to pour her emotions.

"Elena..." Damon tried to stop her.

"Just hear me out, please," she begged. "All this time, I thought I was strong...that I can stand on my own...but I wasn't. You are my anchor. Without you, I would've just drifted away a long time ago. You taught me how to feel alive again. That it's alright to feel happy after everything that I've been through in life. That it's not some mortal sin to love someone, just because other people judge you for it. I saw my future, and it was with you...that was never a lie. I was ready to spend eternity with you. But then, you died...and I fell apart. You know why? Because you were the only one holding me together, and losing you almost destroyed me. You were that one great love that consumed me," she confessed, her eyes welling up with tears once again. "I had to do it, Damon! I know that you would have wanted me to live on, but I couldn't live my life without you with me. Without you, my days were just empty, and my nights were too lonely."

Damon pulled his hands away from hers, only to reach her face...his thumb gently wiping her tears away. "Seems like you've done enough crying over me. I'm not sure that I'm worth it," he said solemnly.

Elena was about to reply, only Sabrina chose that time to return with their food, which Damon was very thankful for. He was clearly not ready to discuss his feelings with Elena, no matter how much she tries to open up the subject.

Sabrina served them their meal, another huge smile plastered on her face. "Here you go, lovebirds! Bon apetit!" she said, before leaving them to their meal.

They ate their food in silence, occasionally stealing a glance at each other when they taught the other one wasn't looking. He caught her lovingly staring at him a few times, but he tried to ignore it. Finally, once they were done eating, Damon waved at Sabrina to ask for the check.

"You ready to leave, little darlings?" Sabrina asked them, seemingly disappointed. "I hope you enjoyed your meal."

"The food was amazing," Elena told her.

"Would you like any food to go?" Sabrina asked them.

"Just the coffee, please," Damon answered. "Your coffee is great...dark and strong, just the way I like it. I sure as hell need it when get back on the road."

"Back on the road," Sabrina asked curiously.

"Yep," Damon replied. "Might as well start early. It's going to be a long drive to get back to Virginia."

"Oh, Honey Pie," Sabrina told him, shaking her head. "If you wanted to leave town, then you should've done it a couple of hours ago. They already closed the roads for the parade."

"Parade?" Elena asked.

"The Christmas parade, silly," Sabrina answered. "We have it every year."

"So, there's no way out?" Damon pressed.

"Well...there is. But the alternative route is just gonna add a few extra hours to your road trip," Sabrina told him. "You two are welcome to stay, enjoy our festivities" she added. She looked at Elena. "Although, I hope you're not wearing that," she said. She faced Damon and stared at him sternly. "I don't know if you've noticed, since you're wearing your badass leather jacket and all," she scoffed at him. "But it is beyond chilly outside! How can you let your wife wear that ratty old sweatshirt?" she asked, as she gently smacked him on the arm.

"No, I'm fine...really," Elena told them.

"Mmmhmm," Sabrina said suspiciously, continuing his motherly glare towards Damon. "Anyway, if you two decide to stay after the parade, we also have the pie-eating contest, the Gingerbread House decorating contest, the Festival of Trees and Lights, and our annual Christmas choral competition." She turned to Elena. "I really do hope that you stay and enjoy yourself, dear. You look like you could use a little recreation." She faced Damon again. "Here's you coffee."

Damon nodded and paid for their meal. He said an abrupt goodbye to the lady, then took Elena's hand and guided her out of the diner. It wasn't after he led her back to where the Camaro was parked that he let her hand go. He popped the trunk and rifled through the contents of one of his duffle bags.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked curiously.

"Looking for this," Damon replied, as he showed her a neatly folded long wool peacoat. He proceeded to put his coat on her. "No old lady is going to tell me how to be a better gentleman," he scoffed. "It's a little too big, but at least you won't be freezing," he told her.

"Such a good husband," Elena teased him.

"Haha...funny," Damon said mirthlessly.

"So...we're staying?" Elena asked him hopefully.

"Not like we have a choice," Damon reminded her. "I don't want to be stuck on the road far longer than I have to be. Besides, you just came from your own little road trip. You must be tired."

"I'm fine," Elena insisted. "Actually, I'm more than fine...I'm great. Believe it or not, you're not the worst company in the world," she said to him.

Damon smirked at that remark, reminding him of their first road trip. "Let's go find ourselves a good spot to watch the parade," he told her, as he took her hand in his, and led the way into the crowd.

* * *

Oddly enough, Damon found himself having fun as the parade went on. Not because of the parade itself, but he enjoyed observing Elena, with her eyes lighting up like a child, while they watched the floats pass them by. The way she gasped when she saw the float of the Nativity Scene. Or how she giggled when she saw The Grinch. The way The Polar Express float astonished her. Or how she clapped when she saw The Nutcracker. He wasn't sure which one she loved more...the Toyland or the Candyland float. Winter Wonderland was definitely one of her favorites. She danced with the elves on Santa's Workshop. But nothing beats the expression in her eyes when she saw Santa's Sleigh. Yes, Damon enjoyed it a lot more, watching Elena than the parade.

After the parade, they decided to follow Sabrina's advice, and enjoy the rest of the festivities. Elena almost conned Damon into entering the pie-eating contest...almost. They critiqued all the entries to the Gingerbread House decorating contest...just for giggles. As the day grew darker, they were kept in awe of all the displays in the Festival of Trees and Lights.

Elena stood there and watched the Christmas Choral competition, while Damon went and got her some hot chocolate. She was flabbergasted at the talent that all of the choir had. She listened to the songs from all the contenders, ranging from children's choirs to glee clubs, to even the church chorale. What she loved most was the Von Winters Family Singers, and their song of choice. She was glad when they were announced as the winners of the competition. She was overjoyed when the choir was invited back onstage to sing their winning piece. She searched frantically for Damon, and dragged him back to the town square.

As the choir started to sing, Elena held out her hand. "May I have this dance?" she asked him. She noticed the hesitation in Damon's eyes. "It is tradition," she reminded him.

"It would be my honor," Damon answered

He took her hand into his, and rested his other hand on the small of her back. Staring into each others' eyes, they began to sway as the choir started to sing.

_You're all I want for Christmas,__  
__All I want my whole life through.__  
__Each day is just like Christmas,__  
__Anytime that I'm with you._

_You're all I want for Christmas,__  
__And if all my dreams come true,__  
__Then I'll awake on Christmas mornin'__  
__And find my stocking filled with you._

_You're all I want for Christmas,__  
__All I want my whole life through.__  
__Each day is just like Christmas__  
__Anytime that I'm with you._

Elena brought her hand to Damon's face, and caressed his cheek, as they continued to dance. Softly, she began to ding along with the choir.

"_You're all I want for Christmas,__  
__And if all my dreams come true.__  
__Then I'll awake on Christmas mornin',__  
__And find my stocking filled with you."_

"I love you, Damon Salvatore," Elena whispered breathlessly.

The song ended, and they stopped dancing. Damon noticeably fell silent. Finally, he shook his head. "I can't do this," he said, almost choking on the words. He stared at Elena with sad eyes, before he turned around and walked away.

Elena stared at his retreating form, as he disappeared into the crowd. Tears filled her eyes once more, racking her brain, thinking of what she did wrong. She wiped her eyes dry, and that's when it hit her...what Damon had said back at the diner.

_Seems like you've done enough crying over me. I'm not sure that I'm worth it._

"Of course!" Elena muttered to herself, as she mentally smack herself upside the head.

It wasn't anything that she had done. It was because in his very long life, Damon had always believed that he wasn't worthy of love. And Elena thought that it's about time that belief changed. She weaved through the crowd to hurriedly find Damon.

* * *

Damon, on the other hand, found refuge inside "Mad Martha's Pies and Pint"...one of the local pubs. The place was packed, so he decided to sit at the bar...full of guilt while thinking of how he left Elena in the middle of the town square.

"Bourbon...double shot," he told one of the bartenders.

"Hey, Gorgeous," the lady bartender greeted him, before handing him his glass. "Where's your bride?"

"Do I know you?" Damon retorted, downing the drink in one gulp.

"Saw you two at the pie-eating contest...you guys looked so cute," the lady explained. "I'm Martha, by the way."

"Martha? As in Mad Martha?" Damon asked.

"Yep," Martha replied. "The one, and hopefully the only," she gave him a wink before pouring another shot. "Trouble in paradise?"

"None of you business," Damon scoffed, downing another shot.

"Rude as you are, I'm still gonna offer some advice," Martha told him.

"YOU are going to give ME relationship advice?" Damon retorted. "This oughta be good!"

"Yes, because I really believe that you can use 'em," Martha replied.

"Alright, shoot..." Damon challenged her.

"Here it goes..." Martha began. "Never forget her birthday. Make a really really big deal out of it."

"I always do," Damon replied.

"After sex hold her for a little while...you know...talk to her like a human being," Martha continued. "Shouldn't you be writing this down?"

"I have a very good memory," Damon told her.

Martha nodded her head and went ahead. "Do not wear socks to bed. No socks to bed...ever...because you might not be all that attractive to begin with."

"Seriously? Have you looked at me?" Damon scoffed.

"Whatever," Martha brushed off his remark. "Always side with her in an argument with your mother."

"My family loves her a lot more than they love me," he confessed.

"Listen to her like you mean it," Martha added. "Supportiveness is a really sexy turn on."

"I'm the most supportive guy ever...as long as her decisions aren't stupid and borderline suicidal!" Damon snapped. He noticed the weird look Martha gave him. "Continue," he urged her.

"Never, under no circumstances, ever hit her," she instructed him.

"I will NEVER," Damon reassured her.

"And no matter what annoying habits she has, you have to realize that she's dealing with a huge mountain of YOUR imperfections every day...so you might just want to let it go," Martha concluded.

Damon realized that it was, by far, the best advice that Martha ever gave him. "Got it," he nodded his head. He took one last drink, stood up, and reached for his jacket. "You know a nice place where we can stay the night?" he asked Martha.

"It's the holidays," Martha reminded him. "All the inns are packed," she told him. "You might wanna try that bed and breakfast down Bradford Street. It's a little pricey, but it's very nice. It's called The Swan's Nest."

"Thanks," Damon left her more than enough money on the counter. "For the drinks, and the advice." He gave her a wink, before he turned around and left to search for Elena.

* * *

Damon didn't have to look that far. Elena found him just as he was getting out of the pub.

"Hey," he said to her with a smile.

"Hey back," she whispered in return.

He took her hands in his. "Let's go."

"Are we leaving?" Elena asked worriedly.

"No," Damon replied, shaking his head. "We're staying the night. There's this nice bed and breakfast down the road."

"I'd like that," Elena told him, as they walked hand in hand.

* * *

Once they arrived at The Swan's Nest, they found the place was almost fully booked.

"The only room we have left is the honeymoon suite," the receptionist informed them.

"We'll take it," Damon replied, giving Elena a wink and a playful smirk.

"That'd be-" the receptionist began to tell him.

"I don't care," Damon interrupted, giving the woman his Black Card. "Charge it."

The receptionist gaped at him. "Yes, sir!"

* * *

Eventually, they were led into their room. The honeymoon suite was quite possibly the most lavish room in the building. The room had a picturesque view of the wooded hillside on the windows, a double-sided herringbone brick fireplace that connected from the bedroom to the living room, and the living room had a fold-away mini-bar and wine cabinet, entertainment center and a cozy reading nook. It also had a large private bathroom, with a two-person whirlpool tub, a double-sink vanity, and a shower that can rival the one in Damon's old room back at the boarding house. The bedroom of the suite is elegantly decorated with a cherry bedroom set with a king size bed. A heart-shaped king size bed.

Elena immediately ran inside the bathroom, excited to use the whirlpool tub. "Ahhh..." she sighed with relief, as she sank into the water and relaxed her body.

"Enjoying yourself?" Damon asked from the bedroom.

"Yes!" Elena answered. "This place is amazing!"

"Only the best for you," Damon told her, as he left one of his clean button-down shirt for her to wear.

Finally, when Elena was done with her bath, she re-entered the bedroom, wearing Damon's shirt, and nothing else. She was disappointed at what she saw. Damon had one of the extra bed sheets, a pillow and a duvet spread neatly on the floor. "You're going to sleep on the floor?" she asked, sounding disheartened.

"There's no way I'm sleeping in a heart-shaped bed," Damon scoffed.

"Is it the bed...or is it me?" Elena muttered.

Damon remained silent. Not long after that, Elena joined him on the floor.

"Elena..." Damon said.

"Please..." Elena begged him. "Just let me hold you," she pleaded, burrowing her face onto the side of her neck. She breathe deeply, inhaling the scent that was uniquely Damon. "I missed this."

"Me too," Damon told her.

There was more awkward silence, before Elena spoke again. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm so sorry! I keep having these explanations, coming up with reasons for my actions, and all the declarations of my affections for you. It never occurred to me until now...I've never really apologized."

"Elena-" Damon tried to comfort her.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't strong enough for us. I'm sorry, I wasn't brave enough. I was a coward to chose to forget you! I'm sorry that I didn't trust that you would find a way to return to me. I'm sorry that I'm stubborn not to ask Ric to give me back my memories. I'm sorry that I was stupid enough to ask him to compel my memories away in the first place! I'm sorry, Damon. I'm so sorry-"

Damon finally put his index finger to her lips to silence her. "Shhh...it's okay. We're okay," he assured her, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I love you, Damon Salvatore," Elena proclaimed one more time.

"I know, Baby," Damon said softly in response. "I know," he repeated. He fingers tangled into her her hair, while his other arm was wrapped tightly around her waist. He whispered his own declaration of love into her ear reassuringly, over and over, until she fell asleep in his arms.

* * *

**~END OF CHAPTER TWO~**

* * *

**A/N** :

* * *

*This chapter was supposed to be more angsty, but I couldn't write it without making it seem like I was bashing Elena's character. I went through a lot of revisions, and I really hope you all like how the chapter turned out. Let me know via the REVIEW section.

*Thank you kindly for reading my story. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


	3. Its beginnin to look alot like Christmas

**A/N** : I know, I'm a little (a LOT) behind schedule. Real life has been kicking my ass lately. Thank you to those of you who are still interested in reading this fic. Penny, I hope that you're liking the story so far.

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE – It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas**

* * *

_Elena took a moment to get her eyes accustomed to the darkness. It was pitch black everywhere. She had no idea where she was, but the place did seem familiar to her. She made her way into the shadows, wrinkling her nose at the dank and musty smell of the place._

"_Hello?" she called out. "Anybody here? Damon? Bonnie? Jeremy? Stefan? Ric? Caroline? Anybody?"_

"_They're not here," Elena almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice from behind her. _

_That voice. It was distorted, but there was something familiar with that voice. "Where is everyone?" Elena asked._

"_They're gone," the voice answered. The voice was thin and hollow, like a voice from the grave. "They're all gone."_

_Elena adjusted her eyes to focus on the figure. "Why is it so dark in here?"_

"_The dark always rises as the night falls," the voice answered cryptically._

_Elena made out the shape of the one she was speaking to. It was gravely and phantom-like, shrouded in a black cloak, its face concealed with a hood. "Who are you?"_

"_I am the one who knows you best, Elena Gilbert," the phantom replied._

"_Yeah...I doubt that," Elena scoffed. "What is this place?"_

"_Don't you recognize it," the dark figure answered her question with another question. "I suppose it's all different now...cold, dark, the smell of smoke and mildew permeating the air. It hardly resembles the place it used to be."_

_Elena gasped loudly and almost tripped over herself once it dawned on her where she was. "This is my house!"_

"_It used to be," the phantom said. "But then, you burned it down. Because that's what you do. You destroy."_

"_No...NO! I had to do it!" Elena tried to explain. "I couldn't live in this place after so much tragedy."_

"_This house was not just YOURS!" the voice hissed. "It belonged to Jeremy too...and your parents-"_

"_Shut up!" Elena snapped, her hands covering her ears._

"_The memories you had of this place...those belonged to Jeremy as well. Mementos of his own childhood, Elena. You took that from him," the voice blamed her._

"_I thought he was dead!" Elena screamed._

"_And you just gave up," the phantom said. "That's what you do. You give up too easily. And now, your poor brother has no place to call his own. He lives on other people's homes, Elena. Because you took this all away from him."_

"_I didn't mean to!" Elena replied, tears welling up in her eyes._

"_You never mean to, Elena," the voice hissed. "But still, it happened. And this wasn't the only thing you took from Jeremy, was it? You also robbed him of his parents."_

"_That wasn't my fault!" Elena shook her head in denial._

"_Sure it was! They would never have been on that bridge if it weren't for you. You killed Jeremy's parents!" the phantom accused her._

"_They were my parents too!" Elena snapped._

"_No! Your parents were John and Isobel...both of whom also died because of you," the figure reminded her._

"_NO! No...nooo!" Elena covered her ears and refused to listen._

"_You're like oleander...a beautiful flower, but poison to everything it touches," the voice continued. "This is why you're all alone now, Elena."_

"_No..." Elena shook her head. "I still have friends and family-"_

"_Look around you, Elena!" the voice pointed out. "They're not here. You're all alone."_

"_Jeremy-" Elena said._

"_Can't stand to be near you," the voice told her._

"_Bonnie-" Elena sobbed._

"_Is dead," the voice continued. "She was never rescued."_

"_Caroline-" Elena whispered._

"_You really believe that she would stay in a world where 'everything Elena Gilbert' is what's most important?" the voice asked rhetorically._

"_Stefan?" Elena's voice quivered._

"_He was the first to leave," the phantom told her. "Can you blame him? His relationship with his brother was destroyed because of you."_

"_Alaric-" Elena said in a soft voice._

"_Has his own life now," the figure answered. "His friendship with Damon never recovered," the voice informed her. "Face it, Elena. They're all gone. Anyone who didn't die for you had the good sense to leave you. You're all alone."_

"_That's not true," Elena answered confidently. "There is one more. And he promised that he would never leave me again," she said. She ran around the burnt-down house, in frantic search of someone she knew would never leave her. "Damon! Damon!" she called his name. "Where are you?"_

"_Don't you remember, Elena?" the voice asked, as the phantom magically appeared in front of her. "He's dead. You killed him."_

"_No! That's not true!" Elena yelled, as she continued to search for Damon._

"_He's gone, Elena. He went inside the town limits of Mystic Falls, knowing that it would kill him," the phantom reminded her. "Because of you. Because you never loved him."_

"_I LOVED HIM! Don't you dare tell me that I never did!" Elena screamed on top of her lungs._

"_Is that why you wanted to forget about him?" the voice scoffed._

"_I had to," Elena sobbed. "My grief was destroying me."_

"_Excuses," the voice retorted. "You seem to have a lot of them."_

"_I love Damon," Elena repeated. "And he will return to me."_

"_Wrong," the voice told her. "He DID return to you," it reminded her. "Only you were stupid enough not to take him back. And now, he's gone again. Gone forever. All because of you."_

"_No...I refuse to believe that," Elena said adamantly. "He will come back!"_

"_Damon Salvatore has cheated death hundreds of times in his 173 years on this earth," the phantom reminded her. "He cheated death one last time to return to you, but you wasted it. He chose his own end. This is his fate. You can't change it."_

"_You can't tell me what I can or can't do! Who the hell are you?" Elena snapped. _

"_Like I've said...I am the one who knows you best, Elena Gilbert," the voice said._

_Elena knew she recognized that voice...and now, she knew why. She ripped the hood off the phantom's head to reveal its identity. "Katherine!" she hissed._

_Right in front of her, she was mirrored with the same face. Same chocolate brown eyes. Only the hair was not perfectly curled as Katherine's. It was dark, long and pin-straight. _

"_Wrong doppelganger," the woman told her. "I am you, Elena Gilbert. And this...this is OUR life."_

"_No...this can't be-" Elena shook her head in disbelief._

"_Life was never the same after you lost Damon forever," her double informed her._

"_No...I was supposed to get him back!" Elena insisted._

"_You tried...and you failed," the spirit told her. "You tried your best to make him happy...you failed on that one as well."_

"_I don't believe you," Elena refused._

"_You were told that Damon's death was his fate, and you just accepted it," her double said to her. "You ran out of time, Elena."_

"_No," Elena said flatly. "There's still time," she insisted. "This is all a dream. I will wake up soon, and I will prove you wrong."_

"_And what can you do, Elena Gilbert?" the spirit retorted. "You can't do anything for yourself. Everyone knows that."_

"_To save Damon...I'd do anything," Elena said with great confidence._

"_Anything?" her double scoffed at her. "I highly doubt that."_

"_He'd do it for me," Elena reminded herself. "He'd do anything for me. "You said it yourself, he defied death just to come back to me. What makes you believe that I can't do the same for him?"_

"_Easier said than done," the spirit doubted her. _

"_I will disobey fate. I will violate the laws of the universe. Hell, I will rewrite time if I have to," Elena said sternly. "Mark my words...I won't allow Damon to die again. I love him. He is THAT important to me. And I refuse to lose him again."_

_For the the first time that night, a smile spread on her double's face. A smile of encouragement. "It's time to prove to your love that you're worth a damn, Elena Gilbert."_

_As the spirit's smile grew, she shoved her down. Only there was no ground underneath her. She fell...and she continued to fall. Falling into the darkness, in search of the one who lights up her life..._

* * *

_8:15 am, December 23rd..._

When Elena woke up, she was no longer on laying on the floor. She was wrapped up in a duvet, laid down in the middle of a heart-shaped bed, in a very luxurious room. But most noticably, there was no Damon to hold her tightly in his arms. She sat up from bed, and allowed her eyes to roam around the room in search of him. Other than her, the room was empty. She was all alone.

_He left. He left me. _ Elena thoughts ran frantically, as her eyes began to well up with tears. "Damon?" she called out his name. "Damon!"

The door suddenly opened, as Damon entered on high alert, his eyes quickly scanning the room for any threats, ready to protect her from any evil. In a flash, he was sitting on the bed, at Elena's side.

"What's wrong, Baby?" he asked worriedly. "I could hear your heart trying to jump out of your chest all the way from downstairs."

Elena quickly locked her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly. "You were gone," she said. "I woke up...and you were gone. I thought...I thought you left me," she whispered.

"Silly girl," Damon chuckled, as he wrapped his arms protectively around her. "As if I'd ever leave you in this town all alone and unprotected. Who knows what kind of trouble you'd get yourself into?"

Elena pulled back slightly, and smacked him lightly on the chest. "Where were you?"

Damon held up his finger. "One moment," he said. "Don't panic...I'll be right back."

Elena rolled her eyes, while he blurred out of the bedroom to retrieve something from the living room. As quick as he left, he returned to her side in a flash.

"I got you some breakfast," Damon told her, holding out a white paper bag. "Brioche French toast with brandied peaches, from the pastry shop right across the street. Highly recommended by Mad Martha," he said.

"Mad Martha?" Elena raised an eyebrow.

"Some lady I met in a bar last night..." Damon saw Elena eye him suspiciously. "Long story," he told her. "Anyway...that comes with," he said, as he held out a tall paper cup. "...High octane coffee, fortified with a healthy dose of AB negative."

Elena took the bag and the cup from his hand, and stared at him lovingly. "Thank you. You always know how to take care of me," she said, with a twinge of guilt in her voice.

Damon gave her a light kiss on the tip of her nose. "Now, eat...before it gets cold."

He gazed upon her with loving eyes, as she proceeded to eat the breakfast he got for her. Elena would look up to meet his eyes occasionally, but Damon never took his eyes off of her.

"Last bite," Elena offered playfully. "You sure you don't want it?"

Damon smirked, and took the piece of Brioche from her fingers. He gave her a light peck on the lips, before popping the piece of bread into her mouth. He moaned when Elena caught the tip of his finger. She bit it gently and sucked on it teasingly, before letting it go to chew the food. He continued to observed her intently, as she finished the coffee and blood mixture, a smile slowly spreading on his face.

"You're smiling," Elena noticed.

"I'm happy," Damon told her, as he gently tucked stray strands of her hair behind her ear. "I like our life when it's like this," he said, reminding them both of those very rare times when their lives were quiet and peaceful.

"Damon, I am so sorry-" Elena guiltily tried to apologize.

"Shhh..." Damon hushed her, pressing a finger on her lips. "No more apologies."

Elena shook her head and kissed his finger. "I need you to know that I'm sorry, and I regret what I did. Damon-"

Damon interrupted her again. "And you're forgiven," he told her. "Always and completely forgiven."

"I love you, Damon Salvatore," Elena whispered breathlessly.

"I know," Damon replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

Elena laughed softly, as she leans in closer for a kiss. She was glad when he returned the kiss, hungrily and very demanding. Her tongue plunged into his mouth, her fingers tangled up in his hair, as the kiss grew deeper. He gently pushed her to lay down on the bed, his body gently pressing down on hers. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt that she was wearing. She moaned into his mouth when his palms glided down to her breasts.

He began to kiss her neck, as she whispered his name breathlessly. His left hand teases its way in between her legs, making her gasp, grabbing his face to kiss him harder on his lips. He swallowed her moans, as he slid one finger inside of her, quickly followed by another one. Her moans grew louder when he curled his fingers inside of her, rocking her hips into his hand, while her nails clawed deeply into his back.

He plunges his tongue deeper into her mouth, totally lost in her. Her hands glided down from his hair, to his arms, caressing his ab muscles, making their way inside his pants. Pretty soon, he felt her delicate little fingers wrapped around his erection. His entire body jerks when she began stroking his length with alternating amount of strength and gentleness that was almost enough to drive him to the edge.

They both growled with frustration, when all of a sudden, her cellphone rang. They both tried to ignore it, but it continued with its incessant ringing.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Damon asked, without stopping his ministrations. He continued to kiss her with great fervor, while thrusting his erection into her hand.

"Let...it...ring..." Elena said in between kisses.

But the phone didn't stop ringing. Frustratedly, Damon took his free hand and reached for Elena's phone from the bedside table. He pulled his face slightly away from hers. "Answer it," he grumbled. "It might be important." Damon gasped at the sudden loss of contact, when Elena pulled her hand away from his cock, as she took the phone from him.

"He-Hello?" Elena answered the phone, softly and disoriented, as Damon continued to kiss down, from her jawline, to the curve of her breasts.

"Elena?" it was Caroline's voice.

"Ca-Care," Elena gasped, as she felt Damon's tongue swirl around her left nipple. "Ca-can I call you back?"

"No!" Caroline answered. "Are you okay? You seem out of breath."

"I'm fi-fine," Elena answered breathlessly. "Oh God!" she screamed when she felt Damon's fingers curl deeper inside of her, hitting that pleasure spot that only he can seem to find.

"Oh my God! Are you having sex with Damon right now as we speak?" Caroline yelled from the other line. "Seriously?!"

"Like she said, Blondie...she'll call you back," Damon said with a smirk, before his tongue playfully lingered on Elena's bellybutton.

"Damon!" Caroline protested. "You get off her, right now!"

"I am trying to at least get HER off," Damon said, resting his chin down on Elena's stomach. "And you just had to be a mood-killer. You know, just because you're not getting laid, doesn't mean we have to stay celibate."

"Ugh! You're disgusting!" Caroline screamed at him from the phone. "Elena! You get your butt back here in Virginia!"she demanded.

"What? Why?" Elena asked, her frustration matching, if not exceeding, that of Damon's.

"Because it's almost Christmas!" Caroline answered loudly. "And I'm not about to spend it all by myself!" she grumbled, before hanging up the phone.

Elena flinched when Damon withdrew his hand from inside her, and pulled away to lay down next to her, instantly missing the body contact. "We don't have to go."

"As much as I hate to admit it, she's right," Damon chuckled. "And Blondie will surely try to castrate me if you miss Christmas because of me."

"See, this wouldn't have happened if Stefan had just listened to me and made up with her already!" Elena said grumpily.

Damon laughed softly. "The most die-hard Team Stelena cheerleader ended up falling for good ol' Saint Stef...who would've thought?"

"Actually, I had a feeling she was headed down that direction eventually. Stefan's her hero," Elena told him.

"Stefan is everyone's hero," Damon pointed out.

Elena shook her head. "You're MY hero."

"I'm nobody's hero," Damon argued.

"Liar," Elena said. "You've saved my life on numerous occasions."

"And you saved mine," Damon reminded her. "I guess that makes you my hero, Elena Gilbert," he told her, before pressing another kiss into her lips.

Elena attacked his mouth hungrily, her fingers massaging his scalp as their kiss grew deeper. She groaned in frustration when her cellphone pinged, signaling a text message, most probably from Caroline again. "I'm going to kill her!" she growled as she pulled her mouth away from Damon's.

"You can't," Damon said. "You're a little low on the 'best friend' department, remember?" he sadly reminded her. "Besides, if anyone's going to kill Blondie, it's me," he added, as he got out of bed, taking Elena with him. "Upsy Daisy!"

"No!" Elena protested.

"To the shower, off you go,"Damon insisted.

"Join me?" Elena asked him.

"I already had my shower while you were sleeping earlier," Damon informed her.

"So? Do it again. Take a shower with me," Elena insisted, giving him a little pout.

"As tempting as that sounds," Damon said with a smirk. "...If I get in there with you, it might take us a while before we get done. And I plan on getting back to Virginia before dark," he added, wiggling his eyebrows. "Go...now!" he told her again, as gave her a not-so-gentle pat on the butt. "I'll go get our stuff ready."

* * *

Elena took a long, cold shower, before getting out of the luxurious bathroom. Damon was soon back in their room, with the outfit she wore yesterday in his hands.

"Your clothes, my love," he said playfully, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Freshly cleaned and neatly pressed. Had one of the staff laundry them."

"Thank you," Elena said, pressing her lips into his. She looked at her ratty old sweatshirt, and wrinkled her nose. "Actually, I was wondering if you have another one of your shirts that I can borrow?"

Damon smiled, and went rifling through his duffel bag. "Here you go," he said, his hand holding out a clean pair of one of his dark grey shirt. He watched her as she put some clothes on. "You better take the coat too," he told her, the pea coat he lent to her yesterday on his hand.

Elena smiled, as he put the coat on her. "Where did you get this coat anyway?" she asked him, inhaling the scent of the garment that was uniquely Damon's. "I don't think I've seen you wear anything else other than your leather jacket."

"It was more weather-appropriate where I came from," Damon replied mysteriously.

"Where were you this past few days?" Elena asked curiously.

"Somewhere cold," Damon answered cryptically. "You ready?"

"You're not going to tell me..." Elena said.

"It's not important," Damon replied.

"It is to you," Elena pointed out. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have traveled all this way..."

"Just leave it be Elena," Damon told her. "I'll tell you later, but for now...just let it be."

Elena nodded her head, as she offered him a warm smile. Damon kissed her lightly on the cheeks, before he left their room to load their stuff to his car. Elena let her eyes roam around the room, memorizing every single detail of their suite. She sighed, when Damon tugged on her hand, telling her that it was time to go. Together, they checked out of the inn.

* * *

Outside, she took one final look at the place...the city that held a lot of memories for her and Damon, at such a short amount of time. A twinge of sadness clutched at her heart. How can she miss a place she had only stayed at in less than a couple of days? She knew that Charleston will always have a special place in her heart.

"Ready to go?" Damon's voice jarred her out of her thoughts.

"I don't wanna go," Elena shook her head. She looked around once more, then turned her gaze back to Damon. "Let's come back here. Promise me that we'll come back here."

"I promise," Damon told her. "Although, I might have a talk with the innkeeper about replacing that bed. There's no way that I'm sleeping in a heart-shaped bed."

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "You don't have to sleep in it. You just have to make love to me."

"Don't talk like that, Elena," Damon playfully warned her. "I am not above throwing you on the hood of my car and have my wicked way with your body."

"You had your chance earlier to have your wicked way with my body," Elena reminded him. "But no...you wanted to be back in Virginia before dark.

"Touch_é_ ," Damon said. "You're cruel."

"You love me anyway," Elena pointed out.

"That, I do," Damon agreed, before leaning in to kiss her lips. He opened the passenger door for her to get in, then went to the driver seat and started the ignition. Not long after that, they were back on the road, on their way to Virginia.

* * *

They weren't even several miles away from Charleston, when Elena became restless. She kept fidgeting in her seat, apprehensive of what's to come. Fear came over her when she remembered what awaits Damon once he returns to Virginia.

"Stop!" she yelled. "Turn the car around," she told the confused-looking Damon. "I changed my mind. I don't wanna go back to Virginia."

"Elena-" Damon tried to calm her.

"We don't have to stay in Charleston," she added "We can go to Georgia!" she suggested.

"We're not going to Georgia," Damon shook his head. "I may have burned a bridge with Bree..."

"Okay, so we'll go some place else. We don't have to go back to Virginia! Please, Damon!" she begged him.

"Hey...hey...shhh." Damon whispered comfortingly. "What's wrong?"

"I just think..." she paused while she thought of an excuse. "It's time for a fresh start. We can have it anywhere else...just the two of us."

"No, Elena..." Damon said.

"Why not?" she snapped. "Damon, we can have a new life...no villains to hurt us...no one to pass judgment on what we have-"

"Elena...you can't run away from your old life and into a new one," Damon told her calmly. "Not when you have other people who loves you and depends on you. You taught me that."

"I just need it to be you and me for a while, okay?" Elena insisted.

"We have forever," Damon reminded her, as he squeezed her hand gently. "You made me promise, remember? This...us...we're forever. We've already proven that we can overcome whatever life throws at us. There's no need to rush into anything. We have forever," he reassured her. "But for now, we're stuck with annoying little brothers, ill-mannered best friends...and a huge debt of gratitude to pay back."

"We have forever," Elena repeated. "You promise?"

"I promise," Damon assured her. You're stuck with me for all eternity, Elena Gilbert," he told her, as he brought her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

Elena stared at him lovingly. Damon was happy...they both were. And he knows how much she loves him. And he forgave her for what she did. This gave her hope. Maybe...just maybe, Damon won't be dying again anytime soon. Maybe she had altered his fate after all.

* * *

They continued the ride back to Virginia. Elena fiddled with the radio, while Damon concentrated on the road, occasionally throwing her an affectionate gaze every now and then. Suddenly, Elena rubbed her palms together, and started breathing on her hands.

"I'm freezing," Elena complained.

Damon chuckled at her. "You are like the only vampire I know who gets cold this easily," he teased. He turned the heat up and then pointed to the glove compartment. "I think you still have your old mittens in there."

Elena rummaged through the glove compartment to search for them. "Found it!" she said. She was about to close it, when a map fell. She picked it up, noticed a certain point with a red circle in it. "Appleton, Wisconsin?" she asked curiously. "Is that where you've been?

Damon sighed and nodded his head. "Yep."

"What were you doing in Appleton, Wisconsin?" she pressed. She noticed his hesitation. "Come on, Damon...you said that we'd talk later. THIS is later."

"Alright...fine," Damon huffed. "I was there on a lead on how to get Bonnie back," he revealed to her.

"That's what you meant when you said paying off debts of gratitude," Elena said pensively. "Damon, you should've told me that you were still trying to look for ways to get Bonnie back!"

"It was another dead end, Elena," Damon sighed. "I just didn't want to remind you of another one of my failures."

"How can you say that?" Elena snapped. "Out of all of us, YOU are the only one left who's still trying!"

"I didn't want to give you false hope," Damon said.

"False hope is better than no hope at all," Elena replied. "Look, Damon...I don't care if you refuse to let other people see the good in you...but don't keep things from me, okay? We do this together."

"Elena-" Damon tried to protest.

"Together, Damon," Elena insisted.

Damon nodded his head and smiled. "Together."

* * *

A few more hours later, they have finally entered Virginia, passing Richmond's city limits. Elena was curled up in her seat, tired, bored and sleepy from the trip. Suddenly, her eyes lit up when she saw a sign on the side of the road. She tried to hide her excitement, but Damon quickly caught it. He smiled, before pulling over at the nearest stop.

"Wait...why are we stopping?" Elena asked.

"You know why," Damon replied. "Let's go...stretch our legs for a bit." He got out of the Camaro, and opened Elena's door for her.

Elena got out of the car, and her face brightened up like a little kid when she saw where they were headed. "Claybrooke Farms Christmas tree lot," she read the sign.

Damon held her hand and guided her in. "Let's have a look around."

They walked around the lot for several minutes, when Elena's mood perked up again. "Ohhh!" she gasped.

"See anything you like?" Damon asked her.

Elena looked at him with a shy smile, and then nodded her head. She pointed at the tree she picked, like she did when she was a little girl. "That one."

"It's beautiful," Damon said. "Good choice."

"But we can't take it," Elena told him.

"Why not?" Damon asked confusedly. "You look like you love it."

"I do," Elena said. "But it's 12 feet...we can't have that on our dorm."

"Who says anything about the dorm?" Damon smirked. "No, we're putting this baby up at the lake house." He turned to the attendant. "This tree right here."

"Good choice, sir," the man told him. "This was supposed to go to the Executive mansion, only the Governor's wife decided at the last minute that she wanted Virginia pine instead of Fraser fir."

"It's her loss, then. My lady wants this tree now...and whatever the lady wants, she gets," Damon told the attendant. He winked at Elena, who snickered, as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "We'll take it."

"It's $34.99 per foot-" the man began to tell him.

"I don't care," Damon waved his hand and interrupted the man. "What else do you have?"

"Uhm...we have a tree stand, some handmade fresh noble fir and winterberry wreaths, juniper and pepperberry garlands, poinsettia mantel pieces and table centerpieces..." the man listed.

"We'll take 'em too." Damon said. "You got any mistletoe?"

"Yes, sir," the man answered.

"Great...we'll take all of them," Damon told him, earning a loud giggle from Elena.

"Yes, sir," the man replied, before calling his other employees.

Damon turned his full attention on Elena, when her hand found its way inside his shirt...her fingers playfully tickling his torso. "You sooo wanna make out with me right now, don't you?"

"Well...when don't I?" Elena said, pressing a kiss upon Damon's smirking lips. She pulled away all of a sudden, her smile disappearing into a frown.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked worriedly.

"I'm supposed to be the one making you happy," Elena answered softly.

Damon laughed softly and shook his head. "Silly girl..." he teased. "Don't you now by now? Whatever puts a smile on your face makes me happy," He leaned in for another kiss.

Moments later, they heard the attendant clearing his throat. "Sir, everything is ready," the man informed them.

"Good," Damon told him. "Load them all up in your truck and have your men follow us. We're going to this house by Dunham Lake," he said, jotting down the address.

"That would be an additional delivery and service fee," the man notified him.

"I don't care," Damon told the man.

"Of course, sir. The total is-" the man tried to tell him.

"I don't care," Damon repeated, as he pulled out his wallet and handed the man a few hundred dollar bills. "Keep the change. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Sir," the man replied, then turned to Elena. "Merry Christmas, Miss!" he said, before turning away hurriedly to give instructions to his employees.

* * *

They arrived at the lake house a little over an hour later. They wasted no time putting the tree up. Elena adorned the lake house with the decorations that Damon had bought earlier, making sure that mistletoe were strategically hanging in all the right places. She then gathered all the lights and ornaments they have stashed up in the attic, and started putting them on the tree. She just finished stringing up popcorn when Damon joined her in the living room, with carrying a tray filled with cookies and some eggnog.

"Everything looks great," Damon praised her as he surveyed their tree, setting down the tray on the table.

"Whatcha got?" Elena asked curiously.

"Bourbon and pecan cookies," Damon replied. "It was one of my mother's Christmas tradition," he said, barely a whisper. He cleared the lump on his throat. "Anyway, it's really goes well with eggnog."

"So...you've been having bourbon since you were a little kid...why am I not surprised?" Elena smiled, as she tried to lighten his mood.

"Are you making fun of my mother's cookies," Damon scoffed with feigned irritation. "You'll pay for that!" he said, before he began to chase her around the room and started tickling her.

* * *

Hours later, they laid cuddled on the sofa, underneath one of the mistletoe Elena hung earlier. Damon made a fire earlier, which was now providing them warmth. Elena sighed contently when he gave her another kiss. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist, while her hands rest on his chest, feeling the beat of his heart. Their tree looked beautiful, and all the decorations brightened the place. It was peaceful. They were happily enjoying their moment alone.

"I love this," Elena whispered. "Let's do this every year. Our very own Christmas tradition."

"Whatever pleases you, Baby," Damon answered, planting another kiss on her forehead.

"Oh, this is so much better than our last Christmas here," Elena reminded her. "Just try and send me away now, I dare you!"

"That was different," Damon defended his actions. "We had the sire bond to worry about. Now, can freely love each other."

"Hmmm...I like the sound of that. I just hope that I never give you any more reason to doubt my love for you ever again," Elena said, before attacking his lips with her own.

Hot and heavy, their kiss grew deeper. Then, out of nowhere, they heard a sound of someone clearing her throat.

"Blondie," Damon said with a fake smile. "Your timing is impeccable."

Caroline ignored him. "You got a tree," she stated the obvious. "Elena...I thought we agreed that we were going to pick OUR tree this year?"

"Yes, we did," Elena replied. "For the DORM room. This is our very own Christmas tree...mine and Damon's. We're starting a new tradition."

"Ugh," Caroline protested. "My mom's handling all the decorations for the dorm, you know, for our party," she said.

"What party?" Elena asked, trying to hide her nervousness while she remembered what happened that fateful night. "We never agreed to a party, Care!"

"Well...my mother decided to bring some Christmas cheer to Whitmore, since you know, we can't exactly go back to Mystic Falls," Caroline scoffed.

"I think that's a great idea," Damon chimed in.

"Nobody asked you," Caroline snapped at him.

"Aaannnddd...that's my cue to leave," Damon announced. He gave Elena a quick kiss, before standing up from the sofa. "I'll call you later."

"Damon...no, don't go!" Elena tried to stop him, but he was already out the door. She turned to Caroline and gave her friend a death glare. "Nice, Care...really nice!" she scoffed, before following Damon.

* * *

Outside, Elena ran to keep up with Damon. "Hey, wait up!" she called after him. "Damon!"

Damon stopped walking when he reached the Camaro. He turned around to face Elena. "Go back inside. It's freezing out here."

"Let's go back. You can keep me warm," Elena replied.

"Tempting," Damon told her. He shook his head. "I can't, Elena."

"Damon-" Elena protested.

"I am really happy at moment, Baby," Damon admitted. "I can't have Caroline ruining my mood."

"I'm sorry-" Elena tried to apologize.

"Shhh..." Damon whispered. "It's not your fault. You have no idea how happy you've made me feel today. It's the best I've felt in a very long time," he confessed. "We're okay," he reassured her. "We're more than okay...we're great! I just don't have the energy to deal with Blondie right now. That's why I have to leave."

"Do you swear?" Elena asked.

"Every goddamned day," Damon replied with a smirk.

Elena lightly smacked him on the chest. "You know what I mean!"

"I meant it...every word," Damon assured her. "Now, get back inside, before you turn into a human popsicle."

Elena gently caressed his face. "I love you."

"I know," Damon smirked, wiggling his eyebrow.

"Ass," Elena huffed, before making her way back inside the lake house.

"Elena," Damon called her.

"What?" she turned to face him again.

"I love you too," Damon gave her a smile, before he got inside the Camaro.

Elena followed him with her eyes, as he drove away, the returned inside the house, where Caroline was still waiting for her.

"Well...he left. I hope you're happy, Care," Elena hissed, before making her way to her room, leaving Caroline dumbfounded and ashamed.

* * *

Inside her room, Elena tossed and turned in her bed, thinking of Damon. She couldn't sleep. Her skin was yearning for his touch, her mouth craving for his lips. She can't stand the fact that she was finally with Damon again, and yet, she still can't be with him.

Frustratedly, she jumped out of bed, and threw some clothes on. She rummaged through her purse, and found the chain with his ring on it. She put in on around her neck, and put her shoes on and quickly went outside her room. She knocked on Caroline's door.

"Elena-" Caroline said softly.

"There's no excuse for your behavior, Care," Elena interrupted her. "But I know how you can make it up to me," she said. "I need to borrow your car."

"What happened to yours?" Caroline asked her.

"It's back at Whitmore with a flat," Elena explained.

"And you need my car to..." Caroline inquired.

"I need to go to Damon," Elena told her.

"Elena...it's almost midnight," Caroline pointed out. "Can't it wait till tomorrow?"

"I'm asking you not to stop me," Elena warned her friend. "Look, Caroline...whether you like it or not, I love Damon. You can't make me feel bad or ashamed of the way I feel for him. I LOVE HIM! You need to accept that."

"If he makes you happy..." Caroline said.

"He does," Elena assured her.

"Alright then," Caroline replied. "Here you go," she said, tossing Elena her keys.

"Thanks, Care," Elena gave her friend a hug, before flashing towards the door, excited and elated to go to Damon.

* * *

**~END OF CHAPTER THREE~**

* * *

**A/N** :

Hope you all had the merriest of all Christmas. Let me know how you like the chapter by clicking on the REVIEW button. Have a Happy New Year!


End file.
